Highlights of the legislative session

Updated 7:38 pm, Thursday, June 9, 2011

TAXES

Approves sweeping tax increases, expanding income tax brackets and rates and increasing and extending the sales tax. All told, the tax increases on individuals and businesses amount to $2.6 billion over two years.

EDUCATION

Maintains the education cost-sharing formula for public schools, making up for the loss of federal stimulus funds.

Allows 17-year-olds to withdraw from school if their parent/guardian signs a formal withdrawal form.

Allows non-immigrant aliens to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes if the person has lived in the state, completed at least four years of high school in the state and graduated.

Waives the requirement that a charter school teacher hold certification if the charter school can demonstrate the effectiveness of the uncertified teacher.

Adjusts the boundary line between Trumbull and Bridgeport so that the future multi-magnet high school, to be located in Fairchild Memorial Park, will be within city lines.

HEALTH CARE

Requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide paid sick leave to certain employees.

Allows non-state public employers, municipal-related employers, small employers and nonprofit employers to join the state employee health plan.

Creates "First Five" program, a new jobs initiative that will provide incentives to the first five businesses that each bring a minimum of 200 new full-time jobs to Connecticut within the next 24 months.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

Maintains aid to municipalities at current levels.

Requires municipalities to have emergency plans to counter potential issues that may arise on Election Day, to permit the secretary of the state increased access and oversight to polling places and to certify the amount of ballots ordered for each polling place.

Eliminates payment in lieu of taxes for manufacturing equipment, but provides monies through other sources to essentially hold towns harmless. For municipalities like Stratford and Danbury, which have strong manufacturing presences, this was a relief.

LAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Decriminalizes marijuana. Possession of a half-ounce or less would bring a $150 fine.

Improves regulation of surety bail bond agents and professional bondsmen.

Allows the disclosure of information concerning a youth in the custody of the Department of Correction to the youth's parents or guardian.

Makes the penalty for the offense of manslaughter with a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, consistent with the penalty for manslaughter in the first degree with a firearm.

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.

Establishes a foster parent bill of rights.

ALCOHOL CONTROL

Authorizes the sale of farm wines at farmers markets.

Allows two in-state and two out-of-state entity wine festivals per year.

Promotes the manufacturing and sale of Connecticut-made beer.

What didn't happen

Abandoned proposals to place a property tax on airplanes, a proposal fought by officials in Danbury and other municipalities with airports.

Dropped efforts to include a property tax on boats and to extend the sales tax to boating services and storage.

Dropped efforts to extend the sales tax to a wide variety of personal services, such as car washes and hair cuts.

Abandoned efforts to close the Governor's Horse Guard unit in Newtown.

Dropped proposals to shift control of technical schools from state to local hands.

Gave up on efforts to eliminate the state's death penalty.

Gave up on efforts to extend liquor sales to Sunday.

A prohibition of smoking in hookah lounges established after July 1 and a requirement on the Department of Public Health to establish health regulations for those lounges operating prior to July 1 died in the final minutes of the session Wednesday night.